Jeff Green or Luol Deng

[saltlover]

Whom would you rather have on this Celtics team, Jeff Green or Luol Deng?  (Forget Kevin Love, Asik, Sanders, etc.)  Luol Deng is the better all-around player, but Green is the better shooter.  Deng will be more expensive, salary-wise.  Deng's a year older, but neither really have age concerns, currently.

Suppose Cleveland would be willing to take Green straight-up in a Deng S&T, and Deng would be paid $11.5-$12 million for four years.  Would you do that?  I do think that Cleveland would be very willing to take that deal (it's better than losing Deng for nothing, and while Green isn't a superstar, he'd capably fill a need), and I think that salary is about what Deng will get in free agency.

[McHales Pits]

I would keep Green for the following reasons...

1) Less financial commitment (years and average annual value)
2) Better 3-PT shooter that pairs with Rondo better
3) More durable (heart issue aside)

Deng is a great two way player, but he is an old 28 and has had lots of nagging health issues in the past. He is also more of a mid range scorer so he doesn't spread the floor for Rondo quite as well. Good defensive wing player, but when engaged - Green can be just as good.

[mmmmm]

I really don't see the point of that, though.

Any argument over which player, Green or Deng gets into the margins and nuance.  They are pretty comparable players, each with a light edge in one thing or the other.

So what is the point of exchanging Green's 9M salary for Deng at 11-12M?

[Roy H.]

It depends on what the rest of the roster looks like.

If we're continuing the rebuild, then keep Green.  He's younger and cheaper.

If we add quality veterans and are attempting to win immediately, then Deng is the better player.

[playdream]

I will do it
it's not fun to watch Green disappearing here and there

[Donoghus]

It's a slightly above lateral move.

Given the cost and the current construct of the Celtics (rebuild mode), I'd keep Green on the cheaper deal.

[saltlover]

I think it's an incremental improvement, and you have to make the team better when an opportunity presents itself.  It's fine to think about doing everything all at once, but some times you can't make decisions simultaneously.

On the other hand, if we draft Saric, I'd prefer to let Green finish out his contract.

[Monkhouse]

I think Deng is the perfect SF to keep if you're looking to keep a roster built around Love/Rondo.

Great 3 and D type of guy that is a smart and intelligent defender.

The problem? Green is still younger, despite coming off heart surgery has remained healthy enough to stay on the court for 2 seasons now... Shoots a better 3 pt, and always has... 8.9 million vs 10-12 million will ruin any cap space flexibility, given the probability that Green does extremely well to give us 8-9 million cap space off the books next year. If you put Green in a 3rd scoring option type of role, or sixth man, Green can easily score 16-18 PPG. Its just a matter of circumstantial advantages. Defense being the key element here. Love has proven he can be a great scoring option. The Wolves led the league in losing the closest games in the 4th quarter. The Wolves are also the best non-playoff scoring team in the history of the NBA to never make it to the playoffs.

But regardless of what happens in the race for Nos. 7 and 8, it is actually the Minnesota Timberwolves who should become the best non-playoff team in history by scoring margin at season's end. Minny's margin of victory is currently +3.06, that of a 50-win team. An impossibly poor record in close games has kept them bouncing around .500, though. That doesn't work in the powerful, deep West. So, there's a chance that this season's West will have produced the two best teams to miss the playoffs in modern history.

I also think keeping Green is more beneficial for us anyways. Green/Rondo have great chemistry. I just think the only issue I have with Green is; I wish he was more aggressive. He can clearly get to the free throw line with his one dribble right drives, but he doesn't try to execute it enough.

I would love to try to get Affalo or keep Bradley if we're going with Love. We need a great defender at the 2 or 3, and an even better one at the 5.

[wdleehi]

Jeff Green.




Deng is the better player.  Unfortunate, he is going to be paid like a guy that can change the fortune of his team. 

[mmmmm]

I will do it
it's not fun to watch Green disappearing here and there

Is it more fun to watch Deng disappearing here and there?

Because Deng 'disappears' at almost exactly the same rate.

Both players below 60% of their average score pretty much once ever 5 games.   In Green's case, that means in 20% of the games, he scored under 11 points.   In Deng's case, that meant in 20% of the games he scored under 10.

On the flip side, Green also score 40% _over_ his average again, about once very 5 games.   Deng had such a 'big game' only 16% of the time.

The fact is, neither of these players 'disappears' to any unusual rate, given their usage, which is as 3rd option scorers getting about 12-13 shots per game.    Their 'bad game' rates are pretty normal.

[LooseCannon]

Great 3 and D type of guy that is a smart and intelligent defender.

Deng has shot 32.2% and 30.2% on threes the past two seasons.  His three-point shooting may be declining to the point that you can't call him a "great 3 and D" guy anymore.  There's a legitimate concern that he has prematurely aged due to being run into the ground by Thibs, who had him leading the league in minutes per game for two straight seasons.

[saltlover]

Jeff Green.




Deng is the better player.  Unfortunate, he is going to be paid like a guy that can change the fortune of his team.

Is Deng going to be paid like that?  A max contract this off-season, for someone with fewer than 10 years of experience, is going to be around $18 million per year.  Next year that number will jump to $19 million, and the year after it should jump substantially again.  Is $11-$12 million really that extravagant given the alternatives?  It'll be less than 20% of this year's salary cap, and less than 15% of the luxury tax.  For a number 3 player, that seems not unreasonable, at least to me.  If Jeff Green has a good season next year, he'll decline his option, and probably get $10-$11 million per year himself.  Sure, the Celtics could take the cap savings, but they're still going to need to replace him, and this is the year with the small forwards on the market, not next year.

[wdleehi]

Jeff Green.




Deng is the better player.  Unfortunate, he is going to be paid like a guy that can change the fortune of his team.

Is Deng going to be paid like that?  A max contract this off-season, for someone with fewer than 10 years of experience, is going to be around $18 million per year.  Next year that number will jump to $19 million, and the year after it should jump substantially again.  Is $11-$12 million really that extravagant given the alternatives?  It'll be less than 20% of this year's salary cap, and less than 15% of the luxury tax.  For a number 3 player, that seems not unreasonable, at least to me.  If Jeff Green has a good season next year, he'll decline his option, and probably get $10-$11 million per year himself.  Sure, the Celtics could take the cap savings, but they're still going to need to replace him, and this is the year with the small forwards on the market, not next year.

That's fine and all, but who on the Celtics are option 1 and 2? 

[2short]

I like Deng and as good a defender as Green is I think Deng is better BUT
green has better range for spreading the floor
green is cheaper
green can play 3 positions

[Jon]

As others have said, I'd stick with Green for now.  If we shook things up and vaulted to pseudo-contender status, I think it'd be a good move.  But right now it just makes more sense to stay with Green's lower and shorter contract.